Getting Answers from God

You cannot fast as you do today
   and expect your voice to be heard on high.
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
   only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
   and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
   a day acceptable to the LORD?

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
   and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
   and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
   and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
   and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
   and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
   and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
   you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. – Isaiah 58:4-9

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 56-58; 2 Thessalonians 2

you ever tried to fast and pray for a spell and wonder why you didn’t hear from God? I mean good gracious what was all that hunger and misery for anyway if you didn’t get anything out of it?

I know that I have and I can tell you this. That’s a really wack feeling.

When I read the passage above it really reaffirmed something that I’ve learned through writing this blog. You gotta get up and move in order to figure out where you are going.

That kinda sounds backwards right? Why not wait for direction and then go where you are supposed to go? Isn’t all of that work before you get clear instructions a waste of time? Wouldn’t it be better to save your energy or focus it elsewhere?

No.

Everything starts with faith and faith is demonstrated by action. You may not know exactly how to get where you want to go or even where exactly you want to go; but you know that you want to go somewhere. Staying in the same place is like being a zombie. Sure you may be walking around in the world but you’re not really living.

But when you start to move forward things become clearer. You start to see your purpose through the experience that your actions have brought you.

But still you might be wondering, ok fine I gotta get up and move but WHAT DO I DO?

That’s where Isaiah’s message comes in. If you don’t know what to do for yourself then focus on helping others. There is plenty of poverty, misery and injustice all around us. Go an lift a helping hand, and in the process God will show you what your next steps should be.

All we have to do is trust with our actions. With each step we take God will make more and more of the path ahead of you clear as day.